Thoughts on a troubled world.
I am a firm believer in free speech. People should be able to have a voice, good or bad. Some of those voices are louder than others, and they are often the ones that don’t sit well with us.
Should governments and organisations step in to censor some of what is said? Maybe. We should monitor hate speech that might cause people to react in violent ways, radical views that can lead our youth down a path to violence, and dangerous misinformation that lead to poor health choices.
Much of what we see and hear as negativity and hate is often the product of fear and ignorance. People get swept up in the scary headlines pumped out by the mainstream media, without taking time to research the facts before making an informed decision. Many react without trying to understand the bigger picture. And so what they have seen is often taken out of context; this is the main reason that I don’t spend much time on social media or watching the news.
Take the reporting of global coronavirus pandemic as an example. Deep divisions have appeared amongst people around the world about how harmful the virus is. Some say that it is no worse than the flu and that we should continue with our daily lives as usual. Many people believe that 5G technology causes coronavirus. There are even some who think that the”deep state” started the pandemic. But, the science tells a different story, as do the statistics.
Then there are the somewhat binary views on the Black Lives Matter movement. It is essential to listen to both sides of the argument. Racism must become a thing of the past, prejudices of old need addressing and consigned to the history books. We need to look at race through the lens of childhood. Small children rarely see colour or disability when they get together and play. We all have the same potential to become loving, kind and compassionate human beings when we are born. Simplistic? Maybe, but it is something for us to consider.
I am raising my son to question everything. I have told him to investigate the things that cause him to feel a certain way about what he experiences as he moves through the world. I am teaching him to listen to his gut instincts. If something doesn’t feel right or makes him feel uneasy, he should pay attention to those feelings and make appropriate choices. Likewise, if something seems too good to be true, he should take a step back and look at the bigger picture, before diving in.
Finding your way to the truth in a world of confusion and hysteria is a challenge. My advice, learn to meditate, then you can take a step back, think before you react, do some research and listen to both sides of the argument; it is not always easy, but it might just help you to be a better human being.
That is all.